Saratoga theater building to open in the spring

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Bonacio Construction will complete its new theater building at the corner of Church Street and Railroad Place next spring and Bow Tie Cinemas takes over operation.

Bow Tie promises a cinematic experience similar to fine dining, complete with a wine and beer bar in the lobby.

At a news conference Tuesday in the empty former Price Chopper at 19 Railroad Place, property developer Sonny Bonacio announced the operator of his planned 11-screen theater. Family-owned Bow Tie Cinemas will take charge of the complex, bringing their slogan -- "Return style and elegance to the movie-going experience" -- to life in what will be called Criterion Cinemas 11.

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"This is the 'before' picture -- see it?" Bonacio said, gesturing at the concrete space around him. "You need a lot of imagination."

Displaying renderings of the theater, Bow Tie owner Ben Moss helped the public visualize the "after" picture. He described the complex's 10 screens and one Bow Tie X-treme (BTX) auditorium. The custom-built BTX theater will feature a giant 2,000-square-foot screen, with 30,000 watts of digital sound.

"BTX is our own exclusive brand of ultimate digital theater," he said. "You are standing in the future home of the Bow Tie Cinemas Criterion in Saratoga Springs."

The theater is planned for the building that used to house a Price Chopper. When Bonacio's Market Center apartment complex and retail building -- and the new Price Chopper Limited inside it -- opened, the old Price Chopper was shuttered. Bonacio's plans for the theater building include maintaining much of the existing 24,000-square-foot building and adding a three-story, 36,000-square-foot addition that wraps around two sides. The second and third floors of the building will house commercial and office space.

Other features of the new theater include oversize leather rocker seats; a party room for birthday gatherings and other events; and snack food offerings such as chicken fingers, French fries and mozzarella sticks alongside the traditional popcorn and candy. Bow Tie Cinemas Chief Operating Officer Joe Masher said only real butter would be used on the popcorn.

Theater auditoriums can be rented during non-business hours for meetings and school events. No video games will be onsite.

"We want to be a family-friendly theater, but not a teen hangout," he said.

Criterion will offer first-run Hollywood movies, as well as independent films, Masher said. A group of Bow Tie executives will select each movie. Bow Tie also features a special event called Movies and Mimosas, which takes place weekend mornings. Guests can come to the cinema, enjoy a mimosa, and watch one of the classics, such as "Casablanca" or "Gone with the Wind."

During Halloween, special horror movies such as "Nosferatu" will be shown.

"You can see a classic film back on the big screen the way it was meant to be seen," Masher said.

Bow Tie's free Criterion Club Loyalty Rewards Program will offer customers exclusive rewards for being steadfast patrons, such as free concessions, movie tickets, invitations to private events and specialty-programming discounts.

The four-generation Bow Tie Cinemas started in 1900 with nickelodeons and is the oldest movie theater operator in the United States. The company also operates Schenectady's Movieland, which opened in 2007, and 19 other locations for a total of 169 screens.

"We are looking forward to many ticket sales soon," Bonacio said.

For those movie-lovers who must drive to the Criterion, two parking garages on Woodlawn Avenue are ready to accommodate them.

Bow-Tie Cinema operates a large movie theater in downtown Schenectady and has several locations throughout Connecticut.